Natalie Cole 1950-2020

We remember Natalie Cole all day today. It would have been her 70th birthday.

We remember Natalie Cole all day today. It would have been her 70th birthday.
Happy New Year! Returning from our holiday trip after being on the Dutch and German highways for over six hours, the first thing I did yesterday was putting on the new Blue Note vinyl by pianist Bill Charlap called “Street Of Dreams”. And boy what a relief this album is. It somehow almost got overlooked…
I still remember seeing singer/songwriter Ledisi perform for the first time. It was way back in 2000 in San Francisco at a tiny little bar/café. At the time, she had just released her debut album “Soulsinger”, a set of brilliantly executed neo soul songs which still resonates up to this day. On April 25th, Ledisi…
She was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition in 2010, the year when Cécile McLorin Salvant won. Her debut Mack Avenue album “It’s A Good Day” featured “One Way Ticket” which ended up on my iphone playlist and stayed there for a couple of years. How I wish that more tunes like…
Alternative soul/jazz trio Moonchild from Los Angeles just released their fifth album, and fourth for the UK-based independent Tru Thoughts Records. The double-LP comes in a gatefold cover with all credits and lyrics and more or less is a continuation of their now established sound. There is still the breathy, overdubbed vocal style of singer…
We miss going out to see live music. The last concert I’ve been to was a great show by singer Baby Rose. That was back in March! Since then, a lot has happened in the digital world. Whole festivals can be watched online. Here is another, very interesting one: the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival. The…
Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk, collectively known as Moonchild, have released their fourth LP “Little Ghost” last September. Staying true to their pretty unique neo-soul sound, the trio will head to Europe in February, with just one show in Berlin (Privatclub, February 10th). After their wonderful “Voyager” double-LP (2017), “Little Ghost” is also…